Suji Puffed Rice Candy 苏稽米花糖
Suji Puffed Rice Candy is featured among the local specialties of Leshan and Sichuan.
Suji Puffed Rice Candy (苏稽米花糖) is a crisp confection from Suji town (苏稽镇) in Leshan (乐山), made with glutinous rice, peanuts, white sugar, sesame and pork fat. The Sichuan Local Chronicles Office describes a slightly glossy white surface and an airy structure that crumbles as it is eaten.
How it is made
The process begins with selecting, washing and soaking the rice, then steaming it. The grains are spread out, rubbed apart and dried before sorting, pre-toasting, puffing and sifting. Other ingredients are mixed in before shaping and packing.
At the Zhang Jiwu workshop (张吉武), Leshan News reporters watched fourth-generation maker Zhang Xiaoqun (张小群) stir rice in a hot wok until it puffed, then coat it with syrup. The mixture was spread on a table, pressed down and cut into pieces.
Where it comes from
Leshan News dates the workshop tradition to 1901, when Zhang Jiwu began making the confection in Suji. Its earlier name was Zhuyou Guhua (猪油谷花), referring to lard and puffed grain; the name Xiangyou Mihuatang (香油米花糖) was adopted in the 1930s. The craft entered the provincial intangible cultural heritage list in 2009, and the product received geographical indication protection in 2015.
How it is eaten
The Sichuan Local Chronicles Office recalls market-day customers eating the sweet with covered-bowl tea and describes it as a gift for relatives and friends. In 2023, Zhang Xiaoqun also described rose and salt-and-pepper flavours at her workshop.
Sources & reading
Written from the linked sources and checked sentence by sentence against quoted extracts by a separate reviewer on 2026-09-26. Recipes and servings vary between kitchens.